#’DMZ,’ Adapted From the DC Comics Series, Gets Picked Up by HBO Max

Ava DuVernay and Roberto Patino’s futuristic civil war drama series DMZ , based on the indie DC Comics book, has been picked up by HBO Max for a limited four-part series. Production is scheduled to begin early next year.

The dystopian, live-action drama stars Rosario Dawson and Benjamin Bratt. Set in the near future, the backdrop is  a second American Civil War that has turned Manhattan into a demilitarized zone. A divided society is likely one that will resonate with many viewers.

“DMZ offers up an explosive playground which, more than anything else, exalts the resilience of community and the human spirit,” Patino, who wrote the pilot episode, said in a statement released by HBO Max.

Dawson plays Alma, a fierce and single-minded medic in search of her son, who was lost during the initial evacuation of the city. She comes into conflict with Parco (Bratt), a powerful crime boss, and faces gangs, militia, and warlords.

Patino is the series showrunner; the pilot was directed by DuVernay. Patino and DuVernay are the executive producers. It’s produced by DuVernay’s ARRAY Filmworks in association with Warner Bros. Television.

DuVernay is executive producer of the OWN series Queen Sugar and Cherish the Day. She created and directed the Emmy-winning Netflix miniseries When They See Us.

Patino was a writer and executive producer for HBO’s Westworld, and a writer/producer on FX’s Sons of Anarchy.